The present invention relates generally to a microprocessor chips, and relates more particularly to systems for cooling microprocessor chips.
The evolution toward high-powered microprocessor chips has driven the design of heat sinks to cool the chips. Conventional heat sinks for cooling microprocessor chips typically come in two forms: air-cooled systems and liquid-cooled systems. Air-cooled systems employ large fins in order to maximize the area for heat transfer between solid (i.e., the fins) and gas (i.e., the air) and thick bases in order to spread the heat from the chip to the fins. Both of these characteristics limit the efficiency of a system. In addition, due to their large sizes, air-cooled systems require a large amount of the available space (e.g., up to approximately twenty-five percent) within an enclosure (e.g., a central processing unit housing or blade server computer), placing severe restrictions on the number of electronics that can be contained within a standard enclosure.
Liquid-cooled systems are more efficient at transporting heat and typically have smaller fins and thinner bases with lateral dimensions that more closely match those of a chip. However, liquid-cooled systems may be susceptible to leaks, potentially leading to costly damage of electronics. Thus, although liquid-cooled systems are smaller and more efficient than air-cooled systems, they also are associated with a higher level of risk.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a small, efficient and low-risk method and apparatus for chip cooling.